Theoretical duration of upper secondary education in South Africa
South Africa: Theoretical duration of upper secondary education was 3 years in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
3 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
52nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
3 years
in 1997
All-time low
2 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Theoretical duration of upper secondary education in South Africa, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for theoretical duration of upper secondary education in South Africa is 3 years, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, theoretical duration of upper secondary education in South Africa peaked at 3 years in 1997 and was at its lowest, 2 years, in 1970.
That places South Africa 52nd out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Theoretical duration of upper secondary education in South Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2 years | — |
| 1971 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1998 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 3 years | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3 years | 2 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 52 Aruba 3 years compare
- 52 Afghanistan 3 years compare
- 52 Angola 3 years compare
- 52 Albania 3 years compare
- 52 Argentina 3 years compare
- 52 Armenia 3 years compare
- 52 Benin 3 years compare
- 52 Burkina Faso 3 years compare
- 52 Bahrain 3 years compare
- 52 Bahamas 3 years compare
- 52 Brazil 3 years compare
- 52 Central African Republic 3 years compare
- 52 Canada 3 years compare
- 52 China 3 years compare
- 52 Côte d'Ivoire 3 years compare
- 52 Cameroon 3 years compare
- 52 Congo 3 years compare
- 52 Comoros 3 years compare
- 52 Cape Verde 3 years compare
- 52 Cuba 3 years compare
- 52 Cayman Islands 3 years compare
- 52 Cyprus 3 years compare
- 52 Germany 3 years compare
- 52 Djibouti 3 years compare
- 52 Denmark 3 years compare
- 52 Dominican Republic 3 years compare
- 52 Algeria 3 years compare
- 52 Ecuador 3 years compare
- 52 Egypt 3 years compare
- 52 Western Sahara 3 years compare
- 52 Spain 3 years compare
- 52 Estonia 3 years compare
- 52 Finland 3 years compare
- 52 Fiji 3 years compare
- 52 France 3 years compare
- 52 Gabon 3 years compare
- 52 Georgia 3 years compare
- 52 Ghana 3 years compare
- 52 Guinea 3 years compare
- 52 Guadeloupe 3 years compare
- 52 Gambia 3 years compare
- 52 Guinea-Bissau 3 years compare
- 52 Greece 3 years compare
- 52 Guatemala 3 years compare
- 52 French Guiana 3 years compare
- 52 Hong Kong 3 years compare
- 52 Indonesia 3 years compare
- 52 Iran, Islamic Republic of 3 years compare
- 52 Iraq 3 years compare
- 52 Israel 3 years compare
- 52 Japan 3 years compare
- 52 Cambodia 3 years compare
- 52 Republic of Korea 3 years compare
- 52 Kuwait 3 years compare
- 52 Lao People's Democratic Republic 3 years compare
- 52 Lebanon 3 years compare
- 52 Liberia 3 years compare
- 52 Libya 3 years compare
- 52 Liechtenstein 3 years compare
- 52 Latvia 3 years compare
- 52 Macao 3 years compare
- 52 Morocco 3 years compare
- 52 Monaco 3 years compare
- 52 Republic of Moldova 3 years compare
- 52 Madagascar 3 years compare
- 52 Mexico 3 years compare
- 52 Mali 3 years compare
- 52 Mongolia 3 years compare
- 52 Mauritania 3 years compare
- 52 Martinique 3 years compare
- 52 Malaysia 3 years compare
- 52 New Caledonia 3 years compare
- 52 Niger 3 years compare
- 52 Nigeria 3 years compare
- 52 Netherlands 3 years compare
- 52 Norway 3 years compare
- 52 New Zealand 3 years compare
- 52 Panama 3 years compare
- 52 Puerto Rico 3 years compare
- 52 North Korea 3 years compare
- 52 Portugal 3 years compare
- 52 Paraguay 3 years compare
- 52 Palestine, State of 3 years compare
- 52 French Polynesia 3 years compare
- 52 Qatar 3 years compare
- 52 Reunion 3 years compare
- 52 Rwanda 3 years compare
- 52 Saudi Arabia 3 years compare
- 52 Sudan 3 years compare
- 52 Senegal 3 years compare
- 52 El Salvador 3 years compare
- 52 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 3 years compare
- 52 Sao Tome and Principe 3 years compare
- 52 Suriname 3 years compare
- 52 Sweden 3 years compare
- 52 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 3 years compare
- 52 Syria 3 years compare
- 52 Chad 3 years compare
- 52 Togo 3 years compare
- 52 Thailand 3 years compare
- 52 Timor-Leste 3 years compare
- 52 Tonga 3 years compare
- 52 Tuvalu 3 years compare
- 52 Uruguay 3 years compare
- 52 United States of America 3 years compare
- 52 British Virgin Islands 3 years compare
- 52 United States Virgin Islands 3 years compare
- 52 Viet Nam 3 years compare
- 52 Vanuatu 3 years compare
- 52 Yemen 3 years compare
- 52 Zambia 3 years compare
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.22 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 287,310 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 13.45 % change on previous year (2015)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.82 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.68 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 818,404 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 3.28 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is theoretical duration of upper secondary education in South Africa?
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education in South Africa was 3 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest theoretical duration of upper secondary education recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3 years in 1997.
- What is the lowest theoretical duration of upper secondary education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2 years in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for theoretical duration of upper secondary education?
- South Africa ranks 52nd out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is theoretical duration of upper secondary education rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release